Building blocks of life can form long before stars

An international team of scientists have shown that glycine, the simplest amino acid and an important building block of life, can form under the harsh conditions that govern chemistry in space.

Can organisms survive on Mars, and can we identify them?

Earth is a very special planet. It is the only celestial body in the solar system on which we know life exists. Could there be life on other planets or moons? Mars is always the first mentioned in this context; it has many ...

New research finds lake under Mars ice cap unlikely

Cornell University researchers have provided a simple and comprehensive—if less dramatic—explanation for bright radar reflections initially interpreted as liquid water beneath the ice cap on Mars' south pole.

NASA simulator helps to shed light on mysteries of solar system

Even in our cosmic backyard, the solar system, many questions remain open. On Venus there are formations similar to volcanoes, but it is not known if they are active. The surface of Mars suggests that there was once a vast ...

Glaciers flowed on ancient Mars, but slowly

The weight and grinding movement of glaciers has carved distinctive valleys and fjords into Earth's surface. Because Mars lacks similar landscapes, researchers believed ancient ice masses on the Red Planet must have been ...

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